It’s all about money, ego and respect. The losers? Both Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho, who won’t budge from their stances despite not really wanting to be a part of each other anymore. Unless certain key players, like Cristiano Ronaldo being the prime example, actually present the board with some sort of ultimatum, this might be going on for much longer than anyone expected.

Jose Mourinho was brought over to win the Champions League. He has failed in doing that. Yes, he took Real Madrid to the semifinal three consecutive times, but that’s not enough. It’s never enough with Real Madrid. On the way, from being the “players person” he has always been rumored to be, things went astray. It doesn’t matter why he suddenly grew tired of Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos; no one should be untouchable if their ability isn’t up to par.

But one can argue about how well Casillas was performing before he got benched. One can’t argue that Sergio Ramos has been playing very well all through the position switches and his feud with the manager. There wasn’t anything visible on the pitch that caused a black cat to pass between the manager and the Spanish players.

Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world, bigger than any player or manager. The most successful side in European football history. But it’s down to petty squabbles, and a level the Portuguese manager, who cares for nothing more than his own ego and legacy, and with his ability to change the way his tenure with the club will look in the pages of history diminishing, has taken the argument down isn’t something Florentino Perez wants to see.

And yet it’s about money: Jose Mourinho has to pay €20 million if he wants to leave, while Real Madrid need to pay him €10 million in order to get rid of him. Both sides don’t want to keep this torture, which is a rather successful pleasant form of it – two second place finishes, one league title and possibly two Copa Del Rey trophies, going on. The only problem is that while no one makes a decision or comes to some sort of agreement, Mourinho is doing some sort of half sabotage to the club.

It’s not about losing on purpose, because the only way a manager can lose on purpose is field a terrible team, and Mourinho isn’t doing that at the moment, but it’s about everything else. “Burning” players through the media and promoting others based on personal interests alone. It has nothing to do with what’s good for the club – only what Mourinho wants to send across: A message he’s not to be f%^&$# with; he wants out.

At some point, people get their wishes. It’s hard to believe that the biggest club in the world will continue to function with a manger they don’t want, while he doesn’t want to be there. At some point it’s going to be resolved. The only question is how much damage will befall the club and its players before the sage is over.